ICYMI: LaDainian Tomlinson Applauds Bowles

HOF RB Touches on His Relationship with Powell, McCown Ready to Self-Scout

Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who spent two seasons with the Jets in 2010-11, believes the Green & White are in good hands with head coach Todd Bowles.

“You look at Todd’s demeanor, it’s always the same,” Tomlinson said on The Official Jets Podcast. “It’s always about business, the next challenge and the next step. Not getting too high or too low. If you look at all the great coaches in the past and even in today’s game, most of them have that quality. They’re a leader of men, but they never allow themselves to get too high or too low. In essence, the locker room is a reflection of the coach and that’s what I see in this team, a team that’s going to keep battling throughout.”

Through 10 games, the Jets have a compiled a 4-6 record. While they believe they let some games slip away, Tomlinson sees progress from a group that is forming a foundation.

“They’re not going to worry about what they don’t have and whatever else is going on,” he said. “They’re just going to focus on attacking. That’s why they’re winning. That’s why they’re surprising some people and winning games that most people probably don’t think they should win. It’s because of the coaching, but also give credit to those players who really believe in what they have right now and what they’re building.”

The five-time Pro Bowler has a special relationship with Jets running back Bilal Powell. When Powell was a rookie in 2011, Tomlinson said the Louisville product had a sponge-like attitude as he soaked up all of the advice LT had to offer.

“You could see him as a young player that he worked after practice,” Tomlinson said of the Jets’ leading rusher. “He watched film and took notes. Digesting all of that, even seeing how I practiced and how I went about my business, I’m sure it was a great learning experience for him. Now, you see it all starting to come to fruition with his talent and what he can do.”

Powell, whose 93 carries lead the Green & White, is averaging 4.5 yards a carry in his seventh season.

“For one, he’s an excellent football player, but he’s smart and that’s why he’s able to do so many things on the football field,” Tomlinson said. “He’s able to handle blitz pick-ups, run routes out of the backfield and run the ball inside and out. He has the physical ability, but he’s a smart player. I’m just so proud of him. I’ve seen him progress over the years and just been so proud that he’s done the job he has. Quite honestly, to me, he just keeps getting better.”

Gearing Up for Final StretchDespite ranking 21st in scoring (21.4 Pts/G) and 26th in yards (306.9 Yds/G), the Jets offense has taken a number of steps forward since the season’s kickoff. Wideout Jermaine Kearse, acquired eight days prior to Week 1, is tied for second on the team with Robby Anderson with 35 receptions. Speaking of Anderson, who spent the beginning part of the season learning a new position following the loss of Quincy Enunwa, he’s now scored in four straight games and leads the team with 568 yards and five touchdowns. The second-year receiver is also tied for fourth in the NFL with 12 catches of 20-or-more yards.

But after mustering a season-low 10 points in a loss to the Buccaneers last Sunday, McCown hopes a self-scout will provide the unit some fixes moving forward.

“That’s what this week is mostly about,” McCown said of the bye week. “Just your opportunity to self-scout and look at the things you’re doing well and the things you can improve on. I think we’ll do that this week and I’m pleased with the way guys are fighting and competing up until the last whistle. That’s good. I think the thing we can be better at is being more consistent. We’ve shown flashes at different moments throughout the season of being a good offense and playing at a high level, but we just need to find some more consistency with that. Hopefully throughout the week as we self-scout, we’ll find ways to do that better.”